So what IS coffee vinegar?

Previous post intrigued me; I usually know about (and am eager to try) different vinegars, spice blends, etc. But I have never heard of this or seen it in stores. I googled it and didn't come up with, much, except some complicated kombucha instructions on someone's fermentation blog and using white vinegar to clean a coffeemaker.

So where do I get this stuff? Are there different varieties (like with cream and sugar? Kona vs Ethiopian?). I think I got a pretty good sense of how to use it based on previous post (kind of like balsamic cream?). But where to find? Is it a specialty of a certain region or country?

I'll take a stab in the dark on this one and suggest that you try making it yourself. I make my own flavored vinegars and think they turn out better than what you buy in stores. I start with half a liter--two cups--of organic, unfiltered apple vinegar. I pour it into a glass jar (use the French-style storage jars with glass tops--and add the flavoring element. I usually use 500 grams--a bit more than a pound--of fruit, which I let stand for about a week. when the fruit has released its juices and flavors, I strain it out and put the vinegar back in its bottle. For a coffee vinegar, I would use about two or three tablespoons whole beans--it will be an experiment.

I have some coffee salt in my spice shelf--been there several years now. It can be used on grilled and roasted meats, in sauces, soups, and stews.

If you know anything about making mead, you could make a coffee mead, then buy some of the natural vinegar with the mother included and use that mother to turn your coffee mead into a semi-sweet vinegar. I've seen honey vinegars flavored with fruits for sale, and they said that was how they made them. Coffee flavor sounds like it would be a great splash for grilling.